DRAGONFLIES - Anisoptera

Pages 11-75
size - large, heavy-bodied; usually larger than damselflies.
wings - held open & flat or down & forward when perched.
eyes - large, spaced very close together; in most families actually touching, often creating a seam down the center.
behaviors - strong fliers; a few are even migratory. Most dragonflies lay their eggs directly into the water.
males - three terminal abdominal appendages and a bump (genitalia) under their second abdominal segment.
females - only two terminal abdominal appendages and often flanges for egg splashing and/or an ovipositor.
California - at least 72 species recorded as occurring within the state representing all 7 American dragonfly families.

archaic name: Green-eyed Skimmers
3 CA genera including Baskettails, Common and Striped Emeralds, totaling 5 species
sizes: medium - with length of 42 - 55 mm
males: often dark having brilliant metallic tones;
some have bodies that are patterned;
all have brilliant emerald green or teal green eyes with abdomens that are expanded at the
midpoint - spindle shaped
females: like the males except their bodies are more stout with a more even shape
habitats: wooded ponds and streams, usually in the mountains
behaviors: mass emergences early in season; perch by hanging;
strong, fast and erratic flyers; sometimes difficult to find, scarcedistribution: found in the central and northern parts of the state, often at high altitudes
Baskettails Epitheca - non-metallic colors; brown and yellow patterned; hairy thoraxes;
found at lower elevations than others; often fly at waist height along trails and paths in sunlit areas; 2 CA species
Common Emeralds Cordulia - dark with metallic green with divergent forked appendages; 1 CA species
Striped Emeralds Somatochlora - dark with metallic green; high flyers; long appendages pointed inwards; 2 CA species
nymph: hairy, dark colored

4 CA genera, including 11 species: sizes: large, robust; fast; lengths: 56 - 111 mm males: large eyes, bodies brilliant blue and/or green with brown females: many color forms, most showing green and/or yellow instead of blue, with a background of brown and/or purple, others like male, ovipositor under tail base habitats: breed in lakes, creeks, rivers; feed over fields behaviors: usually seen in flight; patrol waterways but also often
seen catching insects over fields; perch by hanging vertically; most solo oviposit into
floating vegetation; some swarm; some migrate; blue coloration darkens when cooldistribution: found throughout the state, at all altitudes Green Darners Anax - robust, large green eyes meet in center, forms a seam, thorax solid green,
abdomen more solidly colored, wings mostly clear but may be yellow-tinged, some are migratory - 2 CA species Mosaic Darners, Aeshna* - large blue eyes meet in the center, form a seam,
mosaic patterned abdomen, difficult to distinguish to species without catching them (in net or digitally) - 4 CA species:
*Research in 2003 split the genus Aeshna Neotropical/Blue-eyed Darners, Rhionaeschna* - like Mosaic Darners,
but having a small bump under the 1st segment - 3 CA species
*Research in 2003 split these from the genus AeshnaRiffle Darners Oplonaeschna - RARE - very similar to Mosaic darners; top of segment 10 has a fingerlike projection - 1 CA species nymph - long and slender, crawl about on underwater vegetation

behavior: strong gliding flight; vagrant, migrant; seldom perch, often feed in mixed swarms, follow weather fronts;
can complete life cycle in only a few weeks/months, unlike other dragonflies which take about a year

habitat: open still waters (even temporary); frequently found in yards

California flight period: all year in the south, March - December in the north

behavior: flier, seldom perch, often feed in mixed swarms, strong gliding flight; migrant, often seen after weather change follow weather fronts;
can complete life cycle in only a few weeks/months, unlike other dragonflies which take about a year

Family: EMERALDS - Corduliidae

archaic name: Green-eyed Skimmers
3 CA genera including Baskettails, Common and Striped Emeralds, totaling 5 species
sizes: medium - with length of 42 - 55 mm
males: often dark having brilliant metallic tones;
some have bodies that are patterned;
all have brilliant emerald green or teal green eyes with abdomens that are expanded at the
midpoint - spindle shaped
females: like the males except their bodies are more stout with a more even shape
habitats: wooded ponds and streams, usually in the mountains
behaviors: mass emergences early in season; perch by hanging;
strong, fast and erratic flyers; sometimes difficult to find, scarcedistribution: found in the central and northern parts of the state, often at high altitudes
Baskettails - non-metallic colors; brown and yellow patterned; hairy thoraxes;
found at lower elevations than others; often fly at waist height along trails and paths in sunlit areas; 2 CA species
Common Emerald - dark with metallic green with divergent forked appendages; 1 CA species
Striped Emeralds - dark with metallic green; high flyers; long appendages pointed inwards; 2 CA species
nymph: hairy, dark colored

behavior: often patrols along pathways at waist height in sunny patches, turning when it reaches a shady area;
female unrolls her 'basket' of eggs in strings, attaching them to floating vegetation
habitat: slow waters in lowland forests

4 CA genera, including 11 species: sizes: large, robust; fast; lengths: 56 - 111 mm males: large eyes, bodies brilliant blue and/or green with brown females: many color forms, most showing green and/or yellow instead of blue, with a background of brown and/or purple, others like male, ovipositor under tail base habitats: breed in lakes, creeks, rivers; feed over fields behaviors: usually seen in flight; patrol waterways but also often
seen catching insects over fields; perch by hanging vertically; most solo oviposit into
floating vegetation; some swarm; some migrate; blue coloration darkens when cooldistribution: found throughout the state, at all altitudes Green Darners Anax - robust, large green eyes meet in center, forms a seam, thorax solid green,
abdomen more solidly colored, wings mostly clear but may be yellow-tinged, some are migratory - 2 CA species Mosaic Darners, Aeshna* - large blue eyes meet in the center, form a seam,
mosaic patterned abdomen, difficult to distinguish to species without catching them (in net or digitally) - 4 CA species:
*Research in 2003 split the genus Aeshna Neotropical/Blue-eyed Darners, Rhionaeschna* - like Mosaic Darners,
but having a small bump under the 1st segment - 3 CA species
Riffle Darners Oplonaeschna - RARE - very similar to Mosaic darners; top of segment 10 has a fingerlike projection - 1 CA species nymph - long and slender, crawl about on underwater vegetation

female Darners have only 2 appendages; each species has several color forms; use color of the line across face, presence (Rhionaeschna)
or lack (Aeshna) of a small bump under first segment, the presence
or lack of paired blue spots on abdomen underside, the presence and/or shape
of thoracic top and side stripes, and the ovipositor length. Use of an identification key is often necessary.

male: bright blue eyes and face; brown line across face; broad blue stripes on thorax sides and top are uniform in width;
abdomen appears almost all blue when in flight,
but is a mosaic of blue, black and copper; appendages forked, appear wrench shaped when seen from side;
spots atop segment 10 are paler than others and
widely separated; bump under 1st segment; 3 cells in hindwing anal triangle